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Mastercraft: Difference between revisions
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(Mastercraft a remarketer of note.) |
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Bing Crosby smoked Mastercraft pipes and can be seen in their magazine ads. | |||
The | [[File:Mastercraft 1945.jpg|thumb|Ad from 1945, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:Mastercraft Bing 1946.jpg|thumb|Ad from 1946, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:mastercraft-pipe-packaging.jpg|thumb|Early "Hand Made" line Mastercraft Pipe, and original packaging, courtesy [[Todd Bannard]] (The Sasquatch)]][[File:Mastercraft-Booklet.jpg|thumb|Old Mastercraft Use and Care Booklet, courtesy [[Todd Bannard]] (The Sasquatch)]]The following information comes from a posting made by "Ted" -- the former Exec VP of Grabow/Mastercraft [http://drgrabows.myfreeforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=155&start=0] | ||
It doesn't appear it was ever a manufacturer and bought pipes from multiple factories -- mostly French and English. It survived briefly the post war recovery and then was acquired by Grabow. | It doesn't appear it was ever a manufacturer and bought pipes from multiple factories -- mostly French and English. It survived briefly the post war recovery and then was acquired by Grabow. | ||
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United States Tobacco(UST)(Skoal and Copenhagen) bought Grabow in 69' from the Lavietes family. In 74' they bought M/C from Bernard Hochstein and moved it into the EXACT facility Grabow occupied. I was named "operations manager" and we were in the basement of a 4 story building in Sparta, NC. | United States Tobacco(UST)(Skoal and Copenhagen) bought Grabow in 69' from the Lavietes family. In 74' they bought M/C from Bernard Hochstein and moved it into the EXACT facility Grabow occupied. I was named "operations manager" and we were in the basement of a 4 story building in Sparta, NC. | ||
<gallery widths=250 heights=185 caption="Examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | |||
MC_POW01.jpg|POW Apple | |||
MC_POW07.jpg|Apple detail | |||
MC_POW08.jpg|Apple detail | |||
MCCanadian01.jpg|Canadian | |||
MCCanadian07.jpg|Canadian detail | |||
MC_Zulu01.jpg|Zulu | |||
MC_Zulu07.jpg |Zulu detail | |||
MC_Bent01.jpg|1/8 Bent Dublin | |||
MC_Bent07.jpg|1/8 Bent Dublin details | |||
MC_Bulldog01.jpg|Bulldog | |||
MC_Bulldog07.jpg|Bulldog details | |||
MC_Bulldog08.jpg|Bulldog details | |||
MCDublin01.jpg|Full Bent Dublin | |||
MCDublin07.jpg|Full Bent Dublin details | |||
File:Mastercraft-CustomDeluxe01.jpg|Custom Deluxe w/Box | |||
File:Mastercraft-CustomDeluxe07.jpg|Custom Deluxe details | |||
</gallery> | |||
M/C was STRICTLY an importer of pipes and pipe related merchandise. In 74' when M/C moved from NYC to NC the inventory of finished goods was stored in a facility in Winston Salem, NC. Lentz Moving and Storage. Stacked 10 feet high the inventory covered 180,000 square feet....FINISHED. In my time at Grabow I had never seen that much finished stock, and the shapes, manufacturers,finishes. Heaven for a pipe smoker.....Damn right. You would have had to slap me really hard to get the grin off my face. | M/C was STRICTLY an importer of pipes and pipe related merchandise. In 74' when M/C moved from NYC to NC the inventory of finished goods was stored in a facility in Winston Salem, NC. Lentz Moving and Storage. Stacked 10 feet high the inventory covered 180,000 square feet....FINISHED. In my time at Grabow I had never seen that much finished stock, and the shapes, manufacturers,finishes. Heaven for a pipe smoker.....Damn right. You would have had to slap me really hard to get the grin off my face. | ||
I'll just list a few Manufacturers/names of the inventory.England | I'll just list a few Manufacturers/names of the inventory. | ||
*England | |||
**Parker/Hardcastle(Dunhill) | |||
**Orlick | |||
*France | |||
**Jeantet | |||
**Jima | |||
**Cherrywoods | |||
*Italy | |||
**GIGI pipe | |||
**Radica | |||
**Rossi | |||
**Federico Rovera | |||
**Emilio Rovera | |||
**Santambrogio | |||
**Brebbia | |||
*Meerschaums from Austria | |||
**Strambach | |||
*Lighters from Japan | |||
*Pouches and accessories from Hong Kong | |||
*and the Israeli pipes from Mr. Hochstein's sons. | |||
Trust me...This is only a small sample of the things M/C had, and bought into inventory. | |||
Now the connection. Since M/C and Grabow shared a building, and I was an employee of Grabow we compared notes. Grabow copied a BUNCH of M/C items fully with my help and some skills I had developed. | Now the connection. Since M/C and Grabow shared a building, and I was an employee of Grabow we compared notes. Grabow copied a BUNCH of M/C items fully with my help and some skills I had developed. | ||
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Most of the Mastercraft pipes I have seen/bought at the bid place have an Algerian Briar stamping which makes them an attractive buy in this era. They are very reasonable and every one has been well made with a nice draw and fine centering. | Most of the Mastercraft pipes I have seen/bought at the bid place have an Algerian Briar stamping which makes them an attractive buy in this era. They are very reasonable and every one has been well made with a nice draw and fine centering. | ||
<center><gallery widths=225 caption="Mastercraft Supermaster, courtesy of Doug Valitchka"> | |||
File:MC SupermasterBill01.jpg | |||
File:MC SupermasterBill05.jpg | |||
File:MC SupermasterBill07.jpg | |||
File:MC SupermasterBill09.jpg | |||
</gallery></center> | |||
[[Category: Pipe makers by nationality]] | |||
[[Category: United States]] | |||